


Take the Black

by BorosPaladin



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Magic: The Gathering
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Gen, Headcanon, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-14
Updated: 2014-09-17
Packaged: 2018-01-24 16:21:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1611575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BorosPaladin/pseuds/BorosPaladin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Josiah, a former Boros Legionnaire with more personal history than he'll talk about, meets Ria, the last werewolf of Innistrad, just before a skeleton comes out of Josiah's closet hell-bent on revenge.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Skyrim

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Josiah, a strange man living in the Winterhold inn's spare room, is stirred from his calm life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This work assumes a stably unified post-Civil War Skyrim without either side's victory being relevant.

                The Companions were on the move in his territory again.

                It wasn’t that he had anything against them, mind. He found them quite friendly and skilled in combat, in fact, but since he had started living in Winterhold the Companions had been rarely needed in Winterhold, the Pale, Hjallmarch, or even Haafingar far to the west. That he didn’t see the Companions more often surprised him, as Ysgramor’s tomb remains in Winterhold, but this was clearly a war-party, hunting something rather than featuring any ideas to honor Ysgramor. It occurred to him that they might have felt threatened by him, that they were interested in hunting him, but he dismissed it. They weren’t moving as secretly as that sort of plan would require.

                They had passed by Fort Dunstad and its guard a day ago, though they had chosen to make camp rather than stay in Dawnstar’s inn. Curious, but it just meant that they had to keep their mission secret from people in town. He approached the camp at morning and found it already empty. Some serious hunting was going on.

                That afternoon, he found one of the Companions in Winterhold’s inn. Dagur, the innkeeper, pointed him out to the Companion. “Here! This is the man you want to speak to. Ria of the Companions, may I introduce to you Josiah, Thane of Winterhold. He is much beloved here and knows the land better than any other I know.”  Ria looked him over as he her. She was tall for a woman, even a Nord, with shoulder-length hair topping a thick frame clearly skilled with the warhammer slung across her back. He doubted her aim with the bow and arrows she carried, however.

                “Josiah. Are you familiar with a place called ‘Driftshade Refuge’? We got word some bandits are hiding there and we need to find it so that we can deal with them.”

                “Yes, I know the way. Would you prefer to leave tonight or at morning?”

                “Morning. I will go and summon the others.”

                He snorted. “Driftshade Refuge is a small place, and its few corridors cannot be traveled by more than two at a time usefully. It would make the fight harder, not easier, to call for more warriors.”

                She looked at him askance. “And you think a sellsword such as yourself would be a better choice than a Companion of Ysgramor?”

                He smirked, but his face fell as he spoke. “Were I a sellsword, I’d agree with you. But you tell me of bandits in my homeland; I will not tolerate them one moment longer than I must. You need me to guide you and I would sooner have a hand in the battle than all the Septims in the Companion’s coffers for my aid.”

                Ria turned back to her ale. “Fine. Let us leave at nightfall.”

                Josiah grinned. “Nightfall? I like your style already. I’ll meet you here.”

*             *             *

                A few hours later, Josiah met Ria on the steps of Winterhold’s inn dressed in his scale-mail Winterhold guard uniform with a shortsword slung to his side. Ria was still wearing her hide armor, with warhammer, bow, and arrows slung across her back. “Is that the only weapon you’re bringing, soft-skin?”

                “It’s more weapon than I need. Are you ready to leave?”

                “I said nightfall. The sun has not yet begun to set.”

                “It happens quickly here in the frozen north, and I don’t think either of us is interested in freezing to death overnight. If we wait much longer, we’ll be food for ice wraiths.”

                Ria narrowed her eyes at Josiah. “Fine. Let’s go.”

                Josiah led Ria to where he had two horses tied near the western end of town. “Climb on. Even if you don’t know how to ride, she’ll – whoa!” The horse had reared up as Ria touched it; Josiah rushed over and began stroking the horse. “Calm down, girl, calm down. It’s alright….”  It took some time, but Josiah was able to get the horses calm, though they were both acting jittery, and both he and Ria mounted and riding west. Ria proved to be a decent rider, taking to horseback as though it was her nature despite claiming that she had never even climbed aboard one before.

*             *             *

                “So who’s paying for you to root out these bandits? Must be good money for as large a hunting party as you suggest.”

                “Jarl Skald of the Pale, actually. They’re aggressive bandits, but too cowardly to strike at Eastmarch or Hjallmarch.”

                Josiah nodded. “Aye, that’s normally the case with bandits. Too lazy for hard labor, but not stern enough for real combat.”

                “Let us hope it is those. The alternatives are much worse.”

                “You mean out-of-luck sellswords? I suppose that could be a problem. I mean, the only other bandits I’ve seen are people who discovered their magical talent and were shunned for it.”

                “Those can be a problem if they’re skilled in frost magic. Hard enough to move through this cold, let alone with them adding to it.”

                Josiah waved a hand. “No, they won’t be any issue. I actually have some magical talent myself, primarily schooled in Restoration and Mysticism. Protection and healing are specialties.”

                Ria scoffed. “So that’s why you’re Thane. Friend to the College and pretending to be a friend to the locals.”

                Josiah turned and glared at her. “What, you think I’ve bewitched them or something? Even if I did know how, I’d be more likely removing such work than applying it. No, I earned their trust by labor and by sword. They learned I was a mage and that I could be trusted when I healed little Eirid, the innkeeper’s daughter. Jarl Korir started despising me after that, though.”

                Ria shook her head. “If you’re such a mighty warrior, why not join the Companions?”

                Josiah shrugged. “Why join? I have no need for camaraderie, I’ve never been interested in my tales being sung after I’m gone, and most of them would distrust me as you already do just for my skill with magic.”

                Ria was puzzled by this. “Why would you not be interested in spreading your fame?”

                “One day, regardless of how it happens, I won’t be here anymore. If my works won’t speak for themselves, I don’t deserve the tales.”

*             *             *

                They arrived on a small mountain overlooking Driftshade Refuge as the sun was nearly finishing setting. “Would you prefer we charge or sneak in? Or are you good enough with that bow to take out their sentries from here?”

                “Just the two of them?”

                “If there are more, they’re well-hid, and I’m familiar enough with this terrain that – “

                Josiah didn’t even get to finish his sentence before Ria had whipped out her bow and shot each sentry dead. She turned her head towards him. “Your turn, Thane. How well do you fight with so little steel?”

                Josiah said nothing as he dismounted and tied his horse to a tree. Ria followed his lead and followed him as he walked down to the small building, which clearly extended deep underground. Josiah knelt down by the sentry’s weapon, examining it closely before turning and going in the door. Ria was puzzled for a moment but followed soon after.

*             *             *

                The first few corridors were as tight as Josiah had said; they had to be traveled in single file, and Ria insisted on having Josiah lead. While she claimed it was for him to demonstrate his skill with a sword, Josiah suspected that she just wanted him to fall into any traps first.

There were two bandits lounging at a widened intersection. Were it not for the tight corner leading up to the chamber, Ria could easily have shot them, but with the hallway hindering her swings she was nearly useless in the surprise melee. Josiah, however, was well-prepared with his shortsword, able to dodge the bandits’ clumsy swings while having plenty of space to maneuver. Josiah bent down to examine the two corpses, looking for any clue of the band’s activities. Ria stood back and looked, but noticed something odd.

“These sword-strikes. Why are they scorched as though you had burned them? Is this your ‘protection’, mage?”

“No, that’s my sword. Flame enchantment.”

“So you enchant as well?”

“No. I only know the basest rudiments and how to recharge weapons. I’m not responsible for this wonderful blade.”

“But you still use it.”

“Yes. Is there something wrong with that?” Josiah rose from his examinations.

“Perhaps. We shall see. Did you find anything useful, searching those bodies?”

“Not really. Let’s keep moving.”

With one door barred, another wing collapsed, and one way being back out, there was only one option for moving forwards. That hallway led to an armory which both acted surprised to see was unusually well-stocked for simple bandits.

“Would you prefer I wield one of these weapons, Ria?”

She shrugged. “Use what weapon you will. Your steel makes little difference concerning your aptitude as a fighter.”

“But it matters that the weapon is enchanted?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“No, but you thought it, and I’m being too helpful for you to toss away just yet so you didn’t bother calling me out on it.”

“I didn’t say that, either.”

“You didn’t have to. What do you have against mage-craft?”

“Are you sure you want to be asking me about this now?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s just say that I haven’t yet met a mage who wasn’t either twisted and wicked or so arrogant that I couldn’t stand to be in his presence.”

“Yes, most wizards that are actually living in cities are self-centered. It’s painful to be in their presence. You wouldn’t believe the nasty internal politics at the College.”

“Perhaps I already do.”

“Perhaps so. Regardless, there is a better word for me than mage, fighter, or even spellsword. It’s not used much around here, but the best word to describe me is either ‘cleric’ or ‘paladin’.”

“What god do you serve, that you call yourself a cleric?”

“It’s a bit difficult to explain. Suffice to say that it is neither AEdroth nor Daedroth, and all the Aedra serve it. Call it the Holy Light.”

Ria cocked her head. “I think I understand. But what is a ‘paladin’?”

“A paladin is essentially a cleric who is much more skilled in combat and even more devoted to his or her faith. Paragons of unimpeachable purity, paladins are an amazement to all they meet.”

“Well, you’re no amazement to me, so you are no paladin. Do you claim that your magic comes from your ‘Holy Light’, and thus you are a cleric rather than a spellsword?”

“My magic has much more to do with prayers and faith than incantations and study.”

“Fine. Then I shall not make the mistake of calling you a mage again.”

“Good. Shall we continue?”

“Yes.”

*             *             *

After another narrow corridor, they came upon a dining hall. Having heard the sounds of merriment from a ways away, they knew that three bandits were in the room. Josiah told Ria to ready her bow. They crept as close as they could without being seen, then Josiah charged with a thundering battle-cry, shocking the bandits from their meal as well as startling Ria and spoiling her aim. Still, the battle was short, with two bandits going to Josiah’s blade and one to Ria’s archery.

Josiah grinned. “Shock tactics are great fun. You’re a good shot, by the way.”

“You should have told me you were going to do that.”

“I’m not sorry.”

“I think you don’t want to join the Companions because you can’t work in a team more than anything else.”

“I’d say you’re right. The Legion trained me to be a solo operative.”

“You were in the Imperial Legion?”

“No, different legion. Doesn’t matter. Point remains, solo work is my specialty. Having backup is unusual for me. I was a natural choice because of my devotion; my god is above all a god of light and healing.”

“You serve a god of light and healing and yet you chose a path of war? Strange.”

“Aye, it is strange. And it often feels wrong. I hate living such a life that the most good I can do is killing a few that many survive.”

“And yet you kill without hesitation and I see no remorse.”

“It’s a long and complicated story. Even if I were interested in telling you, I doubt you’d understand.”

“Fine. Are you planning on having an evening meal here or continuing onwards?”

“Let us move on. I can gather the foodstuffs later.”

The next corridor led them past living quarters to a comfortable area with a fireplace and some benches. After a short combat to clear the few bandits from the room, they noticed something wrong. The bandits had torn open a wall and begun tunneling through the packed earth.

                “This wasn’t here before. I don’t know what’s coming, so keep that hammer ready.”

                Ria nodded, and they continued forward.

                “Some kind of animal in there. I can hear its growl echoing.”

                “Then you have better ears than I do.”

                As they approached, they discovered two bandits standing around discussing a werewolf that was locked up in a cage. A few other cages lined the wall, but those seemed empty. The bandits heard the intruders and charged while drawing weapons. Josiah lunged at them unsuccessfully; fortunately for him, Ria’s warhammer was much more useful in this open digout than it was in the tight hallways, so she was able to make short work of the pair.

                As Ria was helping Josiah up, another bandit ran in from the next room, attempting to knock her down with his shoulder. Josiah swept the bandit’s leg while Ria was grappling with the attacker, planted his knee on the bandit’s back and held his sword beneath the bandit’s throat. “Speak, milk-drinker. Why are you holding a werewolf captive?”

                The bandit said nothing but spat and thrust his throat onto the blade. Josiah desperately tried to heal the man but with no result. “Dammit.”

                “Why were you trying to interrogate him?”

                “Something a bit more serious than bandit raids is going on here. I’d rather find out what.”

                Ria scoffed at this. “It doesn’t matter. They need to die.”

                Josiah gestured towards the werewolf as he got up. “And what are we going to do with this one, hmm? Do we set him free to terrorize towns, or do we condemn him with these bandits?”

                Ria notched an arrow and took aim. “If you have trouble putting it down, I will.”

                Josiah pushed her arrow down. “No. Not like this. A werewolf is still a man. He has been forced to live in squalor; he will die nobly. Ready your hammer.”

                Josiah took the cage key from a bandit’s corpse and unlocked the cage, swinging it open. The werewolf looked about for a moment, puzzled at the lack of anyone trying to chain or hurt him, but soon charged towards Ria, who despite a mighty swing from her hammer was knocked to the ground. Josiah joined the fight, trying to pull the man-beast off of Ria as he cut at it with his sword. The werewolf’s fur began to burn from Josiah’s sword; it panicked and attempted to flee, but Ria was able to strike a blow to its skull, knocking it out. Josiah pierced the creature’s heart to ensure that it died.

                “Give me truth, Thane. Enchanted swords don’t normally glow as yours does. What is it?”

                Josiah smiled slightly. “It is a gift from, shall we say, a close friend. It is called Dawnbreaker, and it burns those who live in darkness. It’s particularly effective against undead, though for reasons I don’t understand not necromancers.”

                Ria nodded and gestured for them to continue onwards. After cutting through a torture chamber and two storage rooms, they came to what was clearly a meeting-room where a bandit leader was talking to some new recruits. “Remember, we are not in this for pay. We are here to destroy these beasts that stalk Skyrim in the shadow of the moons and we will not stop until – !” Ria cut her off with an arrow to the leg and began charging in. Josiah could hardly keep up with her and struggled to hold off the three initiates while Ria battered the leader with her warhammer, shouting a stream of curses and hatred that Josiah had never expected to hear come out of her mouth.

                Josiah conjured electrical charge for his sword causing it to lash out the initiates with every strike, cutting them down easily, and turned to his companion. “Ria?” She acted as though she had not heard, still hammering away at the bandit leader, grunting with every strike that pounded against steel armor.

                “Ria, stop.” Again, nothing but steel meeting steel.

                “RIA!” Josiah grabbed the hammer at the peak of its backswing, pulling Ria into a tumbling fall away from the Silver Hand leader.

                “You … know what … she is ...?” The bandit coughed out between mouthfuls of blood.

                “She is mine, wretch. Emperor have mercy on your soul.” Josiah slashed her throat, ending the woman’s suffering.

                Ria picked up some metal shards from the table before they walked out in silence.

*             *             *

                “Thank you for your help. But know this: I don’t belong to anyone.”

                “Of course you don’t. But you’re in my hold and neither enemy nor partisan. That makes you my friend and under my protection. You may not belong to me, but you are mine.”

                Ria began walking away from the refuge, bearing no interest in anything else there.

                “Alright, Companion. What’s really going on here?”

                Ria turned around calmly. “What do you mean? I told you that we were hunting these – “

                “DON’T LIE TO ME!” Josiah’s bellow echoed through the pitch of night. “These were no mere bandits. They are Silver Hand; I know what they do. And furthermore, no Jarl pays to defend werewolves; even Hircine expects them to survive on their own. So tell me, Ria, what is actually going on here?”

                Ria was taken aback at Josiah’s demand and explanation but regained her composure quickly. “Fine. Some of the Companions were cursed to be man-beasts by witches years ago. Some seek a cure, others seek to deepen their bond with their inner beasts, but all are interested in protecting each other as Companions always do. The Silver Hand no longer make a distinction between werewolf and Companion, so they hunt all of us and we have begun to hunt them. Satisfied?”

                Josiah cocked his head sideways. “Yes. Come now, Dawnstar is actually closer. We need to get rooms for the rest of the night.”

*             *             *

                _An apparition shimmered into being wearing the same hooded tan-and-red robes as those physically present._

_Despite his face being hidden by his hood, one figure clearly turned to address the illusion. “Welcome, Josiah. We were just speaking of you.”_

_“I’m flattered, Abbot. How may I aid the Order?”_

_Another grumbled. “Well, you could actually show us something you’ve –.”_

_“Quiet, Tandil. You know why he cannot.” The first figure turned back to the apparition. “We have located the other we spoke of. As we suspected, he is in Skyrim, and he made a trip to Winterhold recently and met with you.”_

_The apparition shook slightly as though chuckling. “Really? Yes, I did meet with someone unusual recently – a Companion of Ysgramor no less. I’m surprised to hear that you think this Companion is a Walker; she showed no magical ability while with me. And even so, I doubt that she would be interested in joining.”_

_“She? Well, that’s interesting news. Her Stride shows the vigor and wildness that we normally associate with males. Still, you confirmed that she resides in Whiterun before we even told you as much. It must be that she is the Oblivion-walker that has entered Nirn recently.”_

_“Do you wish that I approach her, Abbot?”_

_“Yes, but be cautious. The Companions of Ysgramor are a temperamental lot, as I’m sure you’re aware, and likely even more suspicious of magic than most Nords. Aside from that, you know the protocols.”_

_“Yes, Abbot.”_

_“Good. Now then, on to the next item of business: An open discussion on our relationship with the Thalmor….”_

_Josiah’s image faded away as though it had never been there to begin with._

*             *             *

                Josiah sat in what amounted to his home, a small bedchamber in the Winterhold inn. He was bound by his word, of course, and would confront Ria about planeswalking when the situation permitted, but he had no idea how to go about such. To be sure, he had never been a social type, which had made many of his investigations quite problematic.

                There was a cracking as of wood being broken nearby. Josiah was hardly dressed for combat, but he grabbed Dawnbreaker and creaked his door open just a touch. He saw two men sneaking towards his door, swords drawn at a low ready. When they reached his door, they began opening it – and the man opening the door fell to the ground with the wind knocked out of him as Josiah kicked him down. Taking advantage of the second man’s surprise, Josiah disarmed him and began demanding what was going on but was cut short as the man seized Josiah by the throat. A blast of frost from the far side of the inn saved Josiah.

                “Thank you, Nelacar.”

                “You’re quite welcome, Thane. Although if you don’t deal with them quickly I cannot guarantee I’ll leave them alive.”

                “Noted.” Josiah turned to the intruder lying dazed on the floor. “Now, who sent you, and why do you want to kill me?”

                The man pulled out a dagger and launched himself at Josiah. His compatriot did the same, but Josiah in dodging led the second to stab the first who, horrified, took his own life. Josiah cursed. “Why do they never stick around anymore? What is so worth dying for…?”

                “Perhaps this has something to do with it, Thane?” Nelacar gestured towards one of the invaders’ swords. “I’m no blacksmith, but that appears to be silver.”

                Josiah cursed again. “Silver Hand, then. I guess I ride for Whiterun at first light.”

                The innkeeper walked up the stairs from his room in the basement. “What’s all the racket up – Shor’s bones! What happened here? Who are these men?”

                “They’re agents of the Silver Hand, Dagur. They came with intent to kill me. They would have succeeded, if not for Nelacar.”

                “Silver Hand? I thought they had something to do with werewolves.”

                “They do. I don’t know why they’re sending agents after me now, though I have my suspicions. I’ll take care of the bodies and leave at dawn.”

                “Leave? Where are you going?”

                “To find out more about the Silver Hand. For now, though, let’s get them outside. I’ll say some last rites over them before I leave.”

*             *             *

                Dealing with the dead was always painful for Josiah, especially when they had fallen by his hand. Even though these two hadn’t actually died from his attacks, he still felt responsible. Giving them the care that their bodies deserved, though, was easy for him.

                He hated riding south. The heat was frustrating, especially in the cloak he was wearing to hide his identity from other potential killers. Fortunately for him, he met Ria sooner than expected. The Companions were marching north – though they were armed to the teeth, they lagged in their step as though something was pulling them ever back.

                Josiah threw back his hood. “Hail, Companions. What news from Jorrvaskr?”

                A middle-aged woman drew her bow. “Do not challenge us, stranger. It is your death.”

                Ria stepped forward and pushed the bow down. “It’s alright, Aela. I know this one. He is Josiah, the … cleric who aided me in Silverdrift.”

                Aela sneered. “What do you want with us, then?”

                “I wish to speak with Ria privately. And I am curious what would bring the Companions northward in such numbers.”

                “Ha! I take it you mean the Wolf-Born?”

                Ria nodded to Aela. “Dismount, Josiah. I’ll speak with you beside the road as we march.”

*             *             *

                “What did you want to speak to me about?”

                “The Silver Hand tried to kill me in my sleep last night. I wanted to know if – ”

                Ria cut in angrily. “You weren’t the only one. They attacked Jorrvaskr and killed Kodlak. We march to Ysgramor’s tomb for a funeral.”

                “By the Light! I’m sure all of Skyrim is jealous of Sovngarde for his presence. I would like to join in the counterattack.”

                Ria shook her head. “No. Vilkas, hot-headed son of a – I’m sorry. He already slaughtered them all.”

                Josiah hung his head. “Kodlak was a wise man. It is unfortunate that I must address other matters with you.”

                Ria looked up, puzzled. “What do you mean?”

                Josiah stopped and took a deep breath. “Ria, where are you from?”

                “Falkreath.”

                “We both know that isn’t true.”

                Ria stopped.

                “What do you know about that?”

                “I know you’re not from Nirn. I know that you can leave Nirn whenever you please. And I would be able to follow you. That’s all.”

                Ria glared at him. “How do you know about this?”

                “There’s an order of monks that are interested in studying – well, us. They call us Oblivion-walkers. The more common name for us is ‘planeswalkers’.”

                “Why are they interested in us ‘planeswalkers’?”

                “We can do things that no one else can do. It takes a massive amount of mana to create even a temporary portal between planes unless you’re a planeswalker. Also, we can learn spells from other places and still use them here. The Order inducted me and we exchanged some knowledge.”

                “And they sent you to hunt me down?”

                “Not really. They asked me to speak to you, since that would probably be easier for you than having one of them simply appear to you as happened to me. I said that given your warrior nature, you probably wouldn’t be much interested in joining.”

                Ria huffed. “You’ve got that right, at least.”

                “Do you even use magic?”

                “Some. Not much. Mostly, I – well, you heard them call me Wolf-Born. I’m not a werewolf of this plane. They offered me the blood rite and I shocked them by transforming before them.”

                “Blood rite? They actually make each other werewolves?”

                “Only a select few. We’re actually heading to Ysgramor’s tomb to cure Kodlak’s spirit.”

                “He was unhappy with it?”

                “Only what happened to him at death. Some of us, like Aela, will be perfectly happy joining Hricine’s Wild Hunt. Others, like Kodlak, yearn for Sovngarde, but the inner wolf keeps them locked away.”

                “And you? Would you join the Wild Hunt?”

                Ria paused. “Given what happened last time, I’m not entirely sure that I can die. Even then, I don’t think I’d be Hircine’s because I’m not from this world.”

                “From what I know, it has more to do with which plane you die on than anything else.”

                “Alright. Are we done here? I need to catch up.”

                “I suppose so. You know where to find me if you want to know more.”

                Josiah leapt on his horse and galloped away to Winterhold as Ria shrugged and trudged northwards.

*             *             *

                _A hooded figure shimmered into being and knocked on the door._

_“Do come in, Josiah.”_

_The door swung open without being touched and the apparition stepped through, the door swinging shut behind him._

_“What news, friend?”_

_“I have spoken with the Oblivion-walker. She is as unreceptive as I expected, keeping herself closed off even from me. I think she is afraid.”_

_“Rightly so. Lycanthropes are hardly loved here; I doubt it would be better elsewhere.”_

_“From my experience, it is decidedly worse elsewhere, but I have hardly been everywhere.”_

_“Indeed. Did you extend an invitation to the Order?”_

_“I did. I also invited her to – oh. It seems she is actually taking me up on my offer of information. I must go, Abbot.”_

_“Of course.”_

_The glowing image dispersed as though pieces of it were breaking apart and floating away on their own._

*             *             *

                “Come out, Josiah, or else let me in. I know you’re in there, Dagur told me.”

                Josiah opened the door just as Ria was about to bang again. “My apologies, friend. I was conducting some business. Would you prefer to speak in here or the cramped privacy of my chamber?”

                “I would prefer your chamber. I think privacy is important in these matters.”

                “Of course. What are your favorite meat and drink? I’ll get some from Dagur.”

                “Chicken and ale. They don’t go well together but I don’t care.”

                Josiah nodded and left the door to his room open as he went to get refreshments. Ria stepped inside and sat at the single table, in the chair facing towards the door. Josiah soon returned with two bottles and two plates with food on them. Setting them down on the table, he closed the door behind him and sat.

                “Ale and chicken for you, mead and bread for me. Shall we raise a toast to Kodlak?”

                Ria shook her head as she picked up some chicken off her plate. “Please, no. I came here rather than returning to Jorrvaskr to avoid such things.”

                Josiah took a swig of his mead without saying a word. “You were successful at the tomb, then? I admit I was curious concerning the ritual used to cleanse his spirit, but I didn’t think the Companions would be happy with me joining them – ah, you, on such a personal mission.”

                Ria nodded, swallowing a bite of chicken. “Yes. We fought the beast and defeated it. And you’re right, the others would not have like you joining us.”

                Josiah sat up a little straighter, surprised. “But you would have accepted my company?”

                Ria leaned back. “You already proved yourself to me, and I exposed you to the Companions’ darkest secret. I could hardly have entrusted you with more.”

                “True. And I do appreciate it. But I don’t think it was only the trip that brought you here.”

                A smirk arrived unexpectedly at the corner of Ria’s mouth. “No, of course I’m here about planeswalking. I want to know more.”

                Josiah relaxed, mead in hand. “Of course. What do you want to know?”

                “Well, um, how many different planes are there?”

                “Uncountably many. I’ve been to probably about twenty planes alone, and I’ve heard tell of probably at least forty more. But I’m told it truly is infinite, and that makes perfect sense to me.”

                “Twenty! What were they like?”

                “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you for some of them. There’s Shandalar, the wandering plane; Valla, home of eternal storms and mighty warriors; Belenon, with its strangely beautiful architecture; Mirrodin, the world entirely made of metal….”

                Ria snorted. “What?”

                “Ravnica, a plane entirely covered by city….”

                “Sounds terrible.”

                “Serra’s Realm, the plane of angels, or what’s left of it….”

                “More angels? Damn.”

                “Zendikar, where the land itself is alive….”

                “You’re joking, right?”

                “Jund, land of dragons, now a merged piece of the larger plane Alara….”

                “Wait, planes can do that?”

                “Ir, land of the Fomori, a giant minotaur tribe opposed to planeswalkers….”

                “Now you’re just messing with me.”

                “Karsus! Now there was a fun one! Diamonds deep in the earth that would reflect your spells, multiplying them….”

                “Alright, now you’re just boasting.”

                “Vryn, where spells are recycled like old parchment! Wildfire, fiery plane of –“

                “ENOUGH!”

                Josiah stopped. “I … I apologize. I have never had someone actually interested in hearing of these things before. I got rather, ah, excited.”

                “I can see that. Are you willing to talk about something else now?”

                “Yes, of course. I’m sorry.”

                “It’s alright, cleric. Calm yourself. You said you could follow me to another plane, correct?”

                “Yes.”

                “How?”

                Josiah frowned and looked thoughtfully into his nearly empty mead bottle. “It’s much like ripples in water. I can see where you’re going, roughly, if I’m behind you, though it’s hard to be more precise than finding the right plane, and even that proves challenging sometimes. Does that make sense?”

                “I suppose so. I’m not much for swimming, though.”

                “You don’t planeswalk much?”

                “No, I don’t. I’m much happier here than I was on my home plane.”

                “What was it like?”

                “Terrible. Dark. Monsters of all sorts hunting humans everywhere. Then one day the angels came, and I left.”

                “Your spark ignited in reaction to angels?”

                “It was called the Cursemute. All of the werewolves on Innistrad were turned into these half-beasts called Wolfir. Most celebrated the change. I don’t think I would have.”

                “Was this … unpleasant, somehow?”

                “It certainly was going back afterwards. I was never very popular to begin with, but being the last monster on a world where the hunters had suddenly begun protecting the sheep makes life rather unpleasant no matter how well things were going for you beforehand.”

                Josiah nodded. “I can see how that’s an issue. Where I’m from, however, the last monster is as often a tool for fighting the next great enemy as it is simply a pest to be exterminated.”

                Ria perked up. “Really? You’d want to save the last foul beast from its death?”

                “If it can prove useful, aye. Lycanthropy, for example, is something that I simply don’t understand. Even if I didn’t have enough sway to keep you alive for study I would demand a vivisection under great duress.”

                Ria glared. “How _won_ derfully _kind_ of you. I’d _love_ to lie down on your operating table. Chest or back up?”

                “Chest. Makes it easier to get through the ribcage.”

                Ria was shocked at the level nature of his response; Josiah grinned. “You aren’t paying enough attention to the details. I said that that was only happening if I couldn’t keep you alive so that I could better understand lycanthropy. You aren’t the first shape-shifting creature I’ve encountered and certainly won’t be the last; even if I can’t find anything studying your body and transformations, your insight would certainly be invaluable.”

                “So … I’m invaluable now?”

                “Well, maybe not here on Skyrim. From what I understand, there’s a small warrior-cult of werewolves living in Whiterun.” Josiah winked at Ria. “On your home plane, though? Or where I’m from, where I had never even heard the term ‘werewolf’? Yes, I would say that you’re invaluable.”

                “Where _are_ you from, Josiah? You mentioned all those planes before, but I don’t thinking any of them sounded like ….” Josiah waved the question away and turned darkly serious.

                “We all have our secrets, Ria. And some of us keep secrets for very good reason. Let it suffice to say that the greatest prison is the one you don’t even know exists. There are dangers on my home plane I have only even seen similar to twice in all my years planeswalking, and you are clearly not even ready for those pale shadows of the horrors of the Warp. But, let us leave such unpleasant thoughts aside. Is there anything else you’d like to know about the Multiverse?”

                “Multiverse?”

                “Apologies, I forgot to explain. The Multiverse is basically the entirety of creation, the great cosmos in which all the planes exist. Think of it as the term for the whole ocean, while the islands are individual planes. The water in this metaphor is the Æther, sometimes called the Blind Eternities, and it is the ultimate source of all magic. Here is one of the places where the metaphor breaks down, as planes are actually made of, you could say, condensed Æther, and magic works because of the way that different locations on planes filter the Æther. Magic is taking filtered Æther and shaping it according to your desires, whether by incantation or evocation. Is this making sense, or is it all too technical for you right now?”

                “Well, let’s see. Multiverse, ocean, everything in it. Planes, worlds, islands in the multiverse-ocean. Water, Æther, makes magic through some kind of filtering that just seems strange. Is that right?”

                “Yes. It’s a rudimentary understanding, but more than you actually need to go ’walking around the planes. Anything else?”

                “I, uh … I guess I’m just going to need some time to process all this. Is that alright?”

                “Absolutely. You know where to find me if you want to know more. Speaking of more, would you like an ale for the road?”

                “Yes, sure. That sounds good.”

*             *             *

                A glowing blue figure shimmered into being in Josiah’s room.

                “Hail, friend. To what –”

_“There is no time, Josiah. She has left. You must leave now or lose her trail.”_

                “Why are you so concerned? She’s not interested in joining –”

_“We fear for her Oblivion-walk. She may be caught by a Daedric Prince. Be quick!”_

                The apparition watched as Josiah charged out his door. The door did not open for him, and Dagur did not see him come out.


	2. Oblivion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Josiah searches for Ria, finding her trapped in Oblivion. What could have interrupted a Planeswalk?!

                Josiah landed solidly on a rocky outcrop and was careful not to move away as he stood and surveyed the night-darkened desert, still blisteringly hot.

                **And who are you, that you enter my realm freely?**

                “I am Josiah, champion of Meridia. I seek Ria Wolf-born, whom you trapped here.”

                **Ha! And what makes you think you can take her from me?**

“Simple. You’re asking me the questions. I have power over you.”

                A moment of pause told Josiah that he had guessed correctly – this was Molag Bal’s realm, home of the Daedric Prince of Domination who undoubtedly desired to break Ria to his will. Few other gods would be silenced by a claim that you had even the slightest measure of power over them.

                **You will die for your arrogance, mortal.**

                “Not by your hand, Daedroth. I’d sooner bring Boethiah’s champion here than submit to any power of yours.”

                **And just how would you accomplish that? You don’t even have strength enough to leave!**

                “Your choice. Bring me Ria, alive and unharmed, or I will show my dominance over the land itself here.”

                **Right this way.**

                The booming voice chuckled as stones rose up from the ground to form a rocky path leading into the distance. Josiah cautiously stepped off the stone and walked a few paces away from the path. He stopped and looked at the path for a moment, considering carefully.

                He turned and walked the opposite direction.

*             *             *

                Josiah was no stranger to doubt, but he shoved unsure thoughts away as he marched on. If Molag Bal wanted him to do something, the Daedric Prince would have to struggle to get this planeswalker to fall into a trap.

                When he saw a figure huddling against a rock a short ways off, he did not speed up in the slightest, but kept marching, shouting a greeting. It shifted as though looking up at him and tensed.

                Josiah drew Dawnbreaker, and the figure relaxed in its light.

                “Ria? Is that you?”

                “Stop. Don’t come any closer,” she croaked. “Where was the first place we fought together?”

                “Driftshade Refuge. Though a cleverer person would have asked something wrong, such as where we first fought each other.”

                Ria stood up, staggered, and collapsed onto Josiah, who nearly fell over catching her.

                **She is mine. Would you like to join her?**

                “No, she does not belong to you.”

                **She is in my realm and is neither enemy nor partisan. That makes her mine, doesn’t it?**

                “You twist my words. She did not enter your realm willingly, else you would not have had to trap her. She is an enemy, else you would not have threatened or hurt her. And she is a partisan, else she would not be one of Hircine’s manbeasts.”

                “But I’m not –”

                **Your words mean nothing. You are both here; you are both mine. I will do with you as I please.**

                “Again, Molag Bal, good luck with that.”

                Josiah embraced Ria closely and began muttering a prayer. The ground beneath their feet turned a soft purple, and the air around them seemed to glow a light green.

                **WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!**

                “I told you that I would show you my dominance over the land itself; this place is now consecrated to Meridia. Would you still like to prevent our departure? I’m sure you’re familiar with her wrath, as well as the opportunity Boethiah would take to unravel your entire plane.”

                **LEAVE!**

*             *             *

                Forced into the Æther, Josiah had mere moments to guess at where to go. He only knew one place where they could be safe, but it would be difficult dragging Ria there. He tried anyways, another prayer on his ethereal lips.


	3. Ravnica

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It seems Josiah has landed somewhere that Ria can recover, but Ria remains in critical condition.

            Ria sat up sharply, gasping. She glanced around. Bed. Lying in the bed. Under covers. Someone sitting in a chair. Small room. Person is watching? Why is he watching me? “Who are you? Why am I here? Where am I?”

            “One question at a time, Ria. It’s good that you’re awake. My name is Josiah. You probably don’t recognize my armor, but do you remember my name?”

            “Yes. Where did we first fight – each other?”

            Josiah smiled. “You remember Molag Bal’s plane, then. Good. To answer your question, though, we have never fought against each other yet, and we first fought together, and for that matter argued with each other, at Driftshade Refuge. But since we aren’t on Nirn anymore, we should try to avoid speaking of such things. Anyways, for your other two questions, I don’t know what Molag Bal did to you but you’re here to heal, and ‘here’ is another plane called Ravnica. You’ll hate it, but it’s the only place I knew you’d be safe. I’m a part of the Boros Legion here, though you’ll probably hate them at least as much as you hate the city itself.”

            “Ravnica?”

            “Yes. The plane is called Ravnica, as is the city. In fact, the city covers the entire plane.”

            “Why would they do that?”

            “I really don’t know. I don’t even know of records predating the city, so I think the plane has just always been this way. Like I said, you’ll hate it. Don’t even bother looking out the window.”

            Ria collapsed back to lying in the bed and groaned. “How long?”

            “You’ve been here for about a day. I guess you don’t remember being awakened to eat.”

            She shook her head. “Wanna sleep.”

            Josiah smiled. “That’s fine. But drink this first.”

            Ria rolled over and sat up just barely enough to sip out of the bowl. She grimaced as it went down.

            “Disgusting, isn’t it?”

            Ria nodded furiously.

            “Well, the healers said you won’t be able to get up until you’re able to drink the whole bowl without spitting any of it out. They’re a bit harsher than –”

            Ria cut him off by seizing the bowl and draining it. She coughed as she threw the empty bowl on the floor.

            “I guess that settles that. Disgusting, but it’s the best stuff to be found for regaining your strength. There are plenty of people around, including a Legion recruit guarding your door. If you need something – anything at all – just yell. Or, given your current state, croak.”

            Ria grunted at Josiah as she lied down to sleep and he walked out of the room, closing the door softly.

*          *          *

            Josiah closed the door behind him as he stepped into the room. “Good morning, Ria. I understand you’re doing better.”

            Ria nodded as she continued tearing into the gruel that served as breakfast in the military base. Knocking a swallow back with a swig of water, she spewed a sentence out with her cheeks still stuffed. “Where have you been?”

            “Busy. I have some things to catch up on since I’ve been on Nirn. I haven’t checked in for a while.”

            Ria cleared her mouth with a few more gulps of water. “You said we’re on some kind of city-plane?”

            “Yes. It’s called Ravnica.”

            “How did you bring me here?”

            Josiah sat down in the room’s chair, leaning his head on his hands. “How much do you remember?”

            Ria paused and looked into her gruel. “A desert. Something beating me then chasing me for what felt like hours. I vaguely remember meeting you. You picked me up. Then ….” She shook her head. “Here.”

            Josiah sighed. “Here’s what I know. You tried to planeswalk away from Nirn. Molag Bal, by methods I’m not entirely sure of, trapped you on his plane. I, being warned of this by the Psijic Order, came to rescue you. Molag Bal tormented you – from what you just said, by having some kind of monster beat you and chase you through his black desert. Eventually, you were cowering near some rocks, which I came upon. After the introductory challenge of where we first fought together, you collapsed on me. I invoked Meridia and Boethiah to convince Molag Bal to convince us to leave; he chose not only to allow us to leave but to kick us out, leaving us momentarily stranded in the Æther. I dragged you with me here, to Ravnica. Fortunately, I landed close to Sunhome, where I was able to get you to a healer because of my relatively high rank within the Legion. You’ve rested for two days, waking only to eat tiny amounts and take a little medicine. Now you’re tearing into cheap Golgari gruel like it were a king’s feast.”

            Ria smiled weakly. “It is good to eat again after so long. At least, I can’t remember eating.”

            “I guess you don’t remember seeing me yesterday afternoon, either.”

            She shook her head.

            “Are you feeling good enough to stand?”

            Ria handed Josiah the tray of food, turning to put her feet on the floor. Josiah stood and set the food down at the bedside table so he could catch her if she fell, but she was only shaky, not actually falling.

            “Good. We were particularly worried about your legs. It was obvious you had done a lot of running recently, more than your body can really stand.”

            “Legs feel fine. I just don’t know why I couldn’t –” Ria stopped suddenly, sitting down hard on the bed and taking a deep breath. “I couldn’t transform. I’ve never felt so weak, so powerless – it was like the wolf had abandoned me.”

            Josiah sat down in the chair. “I can’t imagine what that would be like. The closest connection I could make is the Light leaving me, but I just can’t even fathom how that would ….” He stared down at the floor. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

            Ria looked him sharply in the eyes. “Get a few guards in here. I’m going to try.”

            Josiah nodded. “Just a moment.” He stepped out of the room, sprinting to the guard station at the end of the hall. After a minute or two of explanation, the guards stood up and nodded in agreement. They came running back, swords drawn. Josiah closed the room’s door behind them.

            “Alright, Ria. Give it a go. Remember, guys, her magic can prove somewhat chaotic but shouldn’t be a problem unless she leaves this room. Don’t even look threatening unless she attacks.”

            The guards nodded. Josiah nodded at Ria, who closed her eyes and grimaced in pain. She began to growl, which turned into a howl as the transformation commenced. Dark blonde hair grew into light brown fur and spread across her body as every muscle in her swelled to nearly double its size; her bones crunched and cracked as they grew and shifted into new positions; her clothes shredded and tore as she burst out of them, and claws sprouted from her fused-together fingers and toes. Most horrifying of all, though, was the face, stretching outwards into a muzzle as her eyes went from white to yellow orbs and her teeth lengthened, becoming vicious fangs. The beast dropped to all fours.

            The guards stared, shocked, at the werewolf breathing heavily in front of them.

            “Ria? How aware are you?”

            The werewolf looked right at Josiah and nodded.

            “Can you change back?”

            The beast crouched lower on the floor and snarled. It began shrinking, its parts shifting towards a human shape as it curled up in pain and began to scream. The guards covered their ears, terrified. Josiah shouted at them; they couldn’t hear, but nodded anyways and ran for the healer. Josiah grabbed Ria, unable to lift her massive form onto the bed but embracing her and petting her anyways. Whispering in her ear, he cast a spell and she, head still curled back in a loud cry, went quiet. The healer charged in, confused.

            “She’s reversing a wolf-transformation. Normal for her, but something is wrong and she’s in incredible pain. I’ve silenced her, but I know nothing of this.”

            The healer nodded and stepped closer, gently laying his hands on Ria and beginning a forceful, rhythmic chant. The silence broke and Ria’s anguish was heard once more, though the healer’s chant seemed to fill the room, drowning the screams in its steady power. Changes that had frozen as Ria had felt her pain resumed, bones snapping back into place, fur receding and lightening, and face reshaping into human. The healer helped Josiah put her on the bed as she curled up into a fetal ball in the aftermath of the pain, then nodded and left.

            Josiah stayed for hours, stroking her as she shuddered.

*          *          *

            When Ria woke up again, she was starving. Looking around the spartan hospital room, she saw Josiah asleep in the chair. Sitting up, she hugged her legs close to herself and looked at him in amazement. She could have stayed there for hours except that the healer chose that moment to check in.

            “Ah, good, you’re awake. From what he – oh.” The healer lowered his voice to just above a whisper. “He said you’d be hungry. He also paid personally for a few cuts of meat to be added to your meal. He was insistent that it be some kind of bird, he wasn’t too particular what as long as we could get plenty of it. Do you actually think you can eat all this?” He offered Ria a tray with two bowls of the gruel, a large pitcher and cup of water, and nearly an entire pheasant’s worth of lightly cooked meat.

            Ria beamed as she took the food. “Maybe I can’t eat it all, but I certainly want it. Thank you for all your help.”

            “Oh, thank the Paladial Corps. Josiah here insisted that you’re a vital resource and must be kept alive at all costs. They were quite willing to give you the absolute best care in Sunhome with no further questions after that.”

            Ria’s jaw dropped slightly as the healer bowed out of the room.

            She continued to stare at Josiah as he slept and she ate.

*          *          *

            Josiah woke up to the sound of something being snapped in two. He perked up when he saw that it was Ria breaking a bird’s bones trying to get at the last of the meat.

            “How much did they give you?”

            “Aside from the meat? Two bowls.”

            “You finished it all?”

            “Hey, lycanthropy makes a girl seriously hungry. Do they even serve ale here?”

            “Yeah, but they prefer to save it for the healthy and for the victorious. Alcohol makes you do stupid things, and I convinced them you’re too important for that.”

            “I heard. The healer isn’t as big on secrets as you are.”

            Josiah smirked. “I know. He doesn’t see very much as important; everyone in Sunhome except the angels either has been under his care or will be under his care. He doesn’t care about rank or successes or anything except what he needs to do for you. He’s excellent. Might be the best healer I know.”

            “After yourself?”

            “Actually, no. I know a few healing spells, but I’m really not very good at it. I have a talent for more destructive magic, especially lightning, but I don’t like it anywhere near as much as healing and learning about the nature of magic. That’s one of the reasons I was studying at the College, actually; I wanted to learn more about healing. The Psijics are more interested in learning about the AEther and other things beyond Nirn than they are in actually using what they know to help people.”

            Ria nodded. After a moment, she looked up warily. “Wait. You said there are _angels_ here?”

            Josiah was puzzled. “Yes, I did. The angels are a famed part of the Legion. Is there something wrong?”

            Ria threw off her sheets and stood quickly. “I’m leaving.”

            “Wearing what?”

            Ria froze and looked down at herself, realizing that she had no clothes to wear. Josiah chuckled as he looked away and handed her some robes. After fumbling with them for a bit, she managed to get them straight. “I think you’ll want some leather armor, too, Ria. We can get that for you downstairs.”

            “I’m not staying.”

            “Well, you’re probably not in any condition to walk back to Nirn, and you don’t want to be hanging around Ravnica without some kind of defense, especially if you’re associated with the Legion.”

            “But I’m not –”

            “We just gave you food, lodging, medical care, and robes that look distinctly Boros and tell all other Legionnaires that you’re a loosely affiliated asset. As far as the Gateless, Dimir, Gruul, and pretty much anyone else cares, that makes you Boros. If you’re that seriously opposed, I can find you some civvies in the armory.”

            “Fine. Just keep me away from your damn angels.”

*          *          *

            “I look ridiculous.”

            “Well, you’re the one who wanted a civilian outfit rather than a Legion scout’s armor.”

            “I’m really getting tired of your damn Legion, Josiah.”

            “I know. Come on, let’s head out. Maybe we’ll get lucky and meet the Gruul; they hate the Legion at least as much as you do.”

            “Won’t they try to kill us?”

            “Hopefully. It’s really boring when they just stand there and yell at you. But then, that’s more what the Selesnyans do.”

            “What?”

            “Alright. Ravnica has ten guilds essentially running things, constantly vying for power over each other. They’re the Azorius Senate, annoyingly detailed law-makers, think Tamriel’s Imperials; the Orzhov Syndicate, a hybrid religion, bank, and crime gang, think of the Thalmor; House Dimir, a network of information-gatherers and spies, akin to the Thieves’ Guild of Riften; the Izzet League, crazed researchers comparable to a less-stable College of Winterhold; the Cult of Rakdos, hedons and carnival-runners who worship their demonic leader Rakdos; the Golgari Swarm, who run the sewers under the city and farm rot to provide food; the Gruul Clans, who rage against the city in primitive fashion much like the Forsworn; the Boros Legion, a kind of vigilante military who try to keep generally criminal activity down; the Selesnya Conclave, a hyper-religious unity-with-nature group; and the Simic Combine, biomantic experimenters that I don’t really understand because of some recent upheavals in their leadership.”

            Ria was just stunned.

            “Don’t worry, I won’t expect you to remember all of that. I’ll point them out to you while we’re on the streets and it’ll make more sense as you see them.”

            “Good because I already don’t even remember half of that.”

            Josiah smirked. “Nobody remembers everything from that short of a crash-course. It wouldn’t even take a week on the streets for you to know it all perfectly, but I doubt you’ll want to stay that long.”

            “Are the Boros the only guild with angels?”

            “The Orzhov Syndicate has a few, but they’re generally considered to be Fallen. Even if you were to come to appreciate the Boros angels’ warrior ethos, you’d hate Orzhov angels.”

            “Ugh. Angels and worse angels in a plane with nothing but city. Great!”

            Josiah laughed. “It’s not that bad. I’m not sure whether I should take you by some Selesnyan gardens or the Rubblebelt first.”

            “What’s the Rubblebelt?”

            “This entire plane is a city, right? So what would happen if, say, a group opposed to the city itself were to rise up and claim a district? They’d knock it all down, right? Rubblebelt.”

            Ria perked up. “I think that sounds like a lovely destination.”

            “Alright, just be careful. It’s almost entirely Gruul territory, and that means we’re almost guaranteed to get in a fight.”

            Ria grinned wolfishly. “Are we going to get going or are you just going to keep talking about how wonderful of a destination this sounds like?”

*          *          *

            Ria stuck close to Josiah as they made their way through the city streets. Josiah would point out various shops or guild representatives of note as they passed by, but Ria forgot almost as quickly as she was told, distracted as she was by the press of buildings on either side of her. She suddenly ran into Josiah’s outstretched arm, the shock forcing her to her senses to realize that she had been about to walk over a small cliff.

            “Not too nasty a drop, but it would still hurt. Are you alright?”

            Ria shook her head as though to clear it. “What? Yeah. I’m fine.”

            “Well, if you weren’t before, this will help.” His arm gestured upwards and she looked out over a grand expanse of trees, wild growths, and ruined stonework. “This is just one part of the Rubblebelt. It goes on for a long way.”

            Her spirits instantly uplifted at the sight of nature amidst the city, Ria leapt down into the grass and mud below. Josiah clambered down slowly and followed warily as Ria began walking, awe-struck at the beautiful destruction all around her.

            “Uh, Ria? Are you up for a fight?” Josiah pointed towards a group of Gruul youths – human, elfin, and even a goblin – strolling menacingly towards them.

            Ria grinned. “They want to die, it’s their funeral.” She pulled her hammer down from being slung over her shoulder and made ready for combat. Josiah drew Dawnbreaker and began making ready when he noticed that something was off in the area, as though some foreign magic had been brought here.

            His musings were interrupted by a large group of Rakdos thugs jumping the Gruul to loud war-cries. The attack momentarily stunned Josiah and Ria, but they quickly charged in on the cultists. Goblins and giant’s heads were crushed under Ria’s hammer as Dawnbreaker scorched human and zombie alike. Moments later, all that remained were the pair and a few Rakdos assassins.

            “Ready to die, Inquisitor?” one hissed.

            Josiah’s jaw dropped as the assassin shriveled, as though drained of all vital fluids to an unseen outlet. The other assassins glanced at the corpse – one commented, “Stupid. He said the kill is his.” That one looked at the others and left, with what was left of the assassin team quickly in its wake.

            Ria slung her hammer on her back. “Well, that was odd. What now?”

            Josiah knelt down next to one of the Rakdos bodies, a human with fingers elongated and flexible like small tentacles. He plunged Dawnbreaker into the cultist’s heart the corpse screamed. Josiah held up the misshapen hand by its wrist. “First we give the untainted their rites and burn the tainted bodies. Then we get you to safety and I leave for somewhere I can find some answers.”

            Ria looked puzzled at the hand, but started pulling the bodies together, careful not to mistake self-mutilation for mutation. “What would even do that?”

            “Magic. The Simic experimenters do similar things, but they haven’t worked on humanoids since the first Guildpact was destroyed and this is completely different from what they do. This is dark, unnatural; the exact opposite of what the Simic are trying to achieve. And treat those untainted bodies a little more respectfully, especially the Gruul. They were innocent here.”

            “Whatever. Is this related to why they called you ‘inquisitor’?”

            “Yes, though I don’t know how just yet. Not many options, though, and the best-case scenario is that they picked this magic up off me at some point when I was un-careful with my information.”

            “You mean _you_ can do that?”

            Josiah answered hesitantly. “No, I can’t. I’ve seen that magic a few other places in the Multiverse, and not once has it indicated anything resembling good.” Josiah poured mana into Dawnbreaker, making the sword erupt with a great stream of flame which incinerated the pile of corrupted bodies. “And that’s why you need to get to safety. Head to your home plane. I’ve got to find out what that was.”

            “And how do you expect to do that? Ask the people you just burned?”

            “No. Like I said, I’ve seen this on a few other planes. I’ll find the best match and find out how stuff is coming over from that plane.”

            “I’m going with you.”

            “No.”

            “How are you going to stop me? And more importantly, how do you expect to survive in the enemy’s lair if you’re alone?”

            Josiah stopped and sighed. “Fine. I’ll consecrate these bodies, then we’re headed back to Nirn.”

            Ria’s face contorted in disgust. “You mean this stuff happens on Nirn?”

            “It could. Remember, we only just faced off with a Daedric Prince seeking one or both of our deaths. This doesn’t look like their handiwork but I’m in no position to rule anything out.”

            “So, what, were you an inquisitor for the Thalmor?”

            Josiah was about to reply when he noticed the air twisting where the mutated bodies had been burned. “Ria? Run away. Any other plane. I’ll follow.”

            “But I can – ”

            “GO!”

            The humanoid creature began to form more fully, its crimson face permanently twisted in rage and its armor covered in dark sigils. Its hands and feet were clawed and it bore a pair of massive horns. It carried a titanic sword which seemed to draw all light in the area into itself. Josiah began chanting prayers as he dove in, and Ria began loosing arrows which seemed to vanish when they hit its armor. The monster brought its shadow-blade down in a crushing arc, but Josiah leapt aside and drew Dawnbreaker across its chest armor. The creature’s other hand grabbed Josiah, pinning him down as Ria fired at the wrist.

            “Ria! Leave! Now!”

            “I am NOT leaving you here!”

            It looked at her, straight in the eyes. Ria froze, overwhelmed with terror at the dark visions of destruction she beheld. She didn’t even twitch when an explosion knocked the monster off its feet, never saw Josiah best it and plunge Dawnbreaker into its dark heart, causing it to simply vanish. Josiah touched her to try and wake her from her shock and she simply collapsed.

*          *          *

            She woke up screaming, back in the medical wing of Sunhome. Looking around, she forced herself not to panic. Josiah must have brought her here again. Yes, he did, she told herself; he’s sitting right there and walking towards you.

            “Are you alright, Ria?” He moved to touch her but she shrank away.

            “Was that a dream? Did I dream all that?”

            “Depends. What was it?”

            “I finally got out of bed and we went to the Rubblebelt and fought some people there and there was something wrong with them and then this gigantic evil thing appeared and it was going to kill us but we left for Nirn and it followed and got us to burn down Whiterun and all the Companions died trying to fight it and it started burning down the forests of Falkreath and things just kept burning, everything was burning….”

            “No, Ria, that didn’t all happen. You were out of bed and walking around the city with me, and we did fight like that at the Rubblebelt, but I banished the demon and you were just paralyzed with fear. I brought you back here when you collapsed.”

            “So it didn’t really burn Whiterun?”

            “No, but now it might. It knows how to get at you if it ever needs to. Like I said, you aren’t prepared for this fight and need to remain somewhere safe.”

            “But Nirn isn’t safe anymore, is it?”

            “You’re right, it isn’t. You’ll have to either stay here or head back to your home plane.”

            “I can’t believe that that counts as safety.”

            “Where else could you go? Whatever’s hunting me can clearly find you out and about on Ravnica, so I’m not even entirely sure Sunhome is safe. It knows about Nirn, so you can’t afford to go there. If you come with me it’ll just find you again and we won’t have Sunhome to fall back on. Seriously, what other options do you have?”

            Ria stopped and thought, feeling rather powerless and worthless, but then an idea struck her. “What if you came with me and taught me how to fight it?”

            “I don’t know if you can actually wield such magic, but we’ll see. I’ll have to find out more about your world in order to teach you there, but it can be done. I just hope Ravnica doesn’t suffer in this guy’s search for me.”

            “‘This guy’? I thought we were dealing with some kind of gigantic demonic creature.”

            “Well, either it’s that or we’re dealing with a planeswalker who can summon those, and I don’t know which is worse. I’m not sure how that demon would find me here, though, as the local demons are nothing like it.”

            Ria sighed and got out of bed. “Well, let’s get moving. I’ll conjure clothes as we ‘walk.”

            Josiah smirked. “You actually know how to do that already?”

            “Well, yeah. Clothing on Nirn and Innistrad don’t really have a lot in common. Had to learn.”

            Josiah nodded. “I shouldn’t stick out too badly. Lead on.”

            Ria began twisting as though shifting into her wolf form, but her various parts were disappearing instead of changing. Josiah smirked and leapt from floor to bed to twenty-first-story window.

 


	4. Innistrad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Innistrad is a nasty place full of nasty things. Some call it home, others call it target practice.

                Josiah landed in a dark forest dressed in cheap sackcloth. Not the best thing for anyone on a journey, but it wouldn’t look alien to the plane’s locals. He was good at following AEther trails, too, so he knew that Ria shouldn’t be too far away. Stopping to take a look around, he noticed that he was on a trail just in front of a small shrine featuring the depiction of an angel and some kind of hooked U-shape. He was startled out of his musings by a blade touching his back.

                “You should be more careful around here, Cleric. The woods may be safer because of the Cursemute, but they’re still dangerous.”

                “You’re the only animal I’d expect to be quite that silent, Ria. Though, honestly, I didn’t realize you were that good at sneaking.”

                Ria pulled her knife away and sheathed it. “You have a lot more surprises to deal with around here, then. Be more careful. Even the trees are capable of attacking.”

                Josiah nodded. “And whom is this shrine to?”

                “Avacyn, Archangel in charge of Thraben. The bitch responsible for the Cursemute,” Ria spat. “I suppose I should be grateful for being able to travel beyond Innistrad, but I still hate what she’s done to us.”

                “Us meaning the werewolves?”

                “Yes. You’ll see the wolfir soon enough, I’m sure. But for all that she did, skaberen are still as powerful as ever and vampire houses still rule Stensia. It’s a nasty world to be a human in and even worse for those who don’t like Avacyn’s order and rule. At least demons weren’t a problem while she was gone.”

                Josiah turned to face Ria, a look of curiosity on his face. “How was she gone?”

                Ria shrugged. “I don’t know the details. For a few years, she was just not here, and all the demons had disappeared with her. One day she isn’t making appearances anymore and all the things humans thought would protect them with her magic faded and all the predators started having a grand time. Now the sheep have their shepherd back and they have to deal with the demons on their own because we just don’t have the strength to fight them anymore.”

                “Demons? And where are they?”

                “Stensia. The mountain regions. At least, that’s where you’ll find most of them. I’ve heard of something called the Ashmouth, but I’ve never seen it firsthand.”

                “Let’s go there.”

                “ _RIGHT_! Because the entire point of this little trip _wasn’t_ to keep us safe from whatever the hell that thing was on your damn city-plane!”

                The ground lifted beneath Ria, knocking her off-balance. She felt something like a swift kick to the gut across her entire chest, knocking her breath away and even making her throw up in her mouth a little. Josiah leapt and landed, crouched, over her, his eyes glowing crimson.

                “ _You_ are here so that my foes do not kill you while I hunt them. _I_ am here so that you can learn to beat them. I have a few weeks at best to teach you what most struggle with after decades.” He jabbed a finger towards her heart. “The Spark inside you is the only thing convincing me that you even _might_ be able to pull this off. Have I made myself abundantly clear?”

                Ria spat in his face. “I have all the help I need here.”

                Josiah looked around and noticed many pairs of eyes glinting low to the ground. _She’s called the Wolf-Born for a reason, idiot,_ he chided himself. He got up from on top of Ria. “Fine. Come or don’t. It’s not my head you’re risking.”

                Josiah walked away, not caring where he headed. Sooner or later he’d find a town, and from there, the way to the Ashmouth. The wolf-eyes watched him walk away.

                Ria just lied there feeling terrible for abandoning him until one of the wolves walked over and lied down next to her. The rest began coming, greeting her with licks and cuddling and Ria grinned. Maybe the demons would come for her. But with her pack around, she was invincible.

*             *             *

                When Josiah walked into town, he began asking people for help, claiming that he had been robbed of all his possessions in his sleep and that he needed to get to his family in Stensia. Eventually, one man asked him what had prompted such an under-prepared journey into the mountains.

                “I don’t know. I got a scrawled letter from them saying that something was terribly wrong. I got moving immediately.”

                The man laughed. “Sounds like a vampire’s trick, friend. You’re probably safest heading back wherever you came from.”

                Josiah slapped him so hard he fell to the ground. “If you won’t help me, don’t stand in my way.”

                That, of course, drew some attention. A large creature akin to a human with the fur, face, legs, and hands of a wolf strode over. “Why did you strike this man, stranger?”

                “This man offered me an impertinence. I replied in kind.”

                The creature – Josiah concluded it must be one of the ‘wolfir’ Ria had mentioned – looked between Josiah and the man. “Come with me, stranger. I will deal with him later.”

                Josiah followed the wolfir to its hut on the edge of town. “What is your name, stranger?”

                “Josiah. And you are?”

                “Raban. Where are you from?”

                “Why does it matter?”

                The beast’s claws were around Josiah’s throat in an instant. “Because you don’t smell right. You seem human enough, but you’re like nothing I’ve ever met. You don’t smell like the forest and you aren’t anywhere near dirty enough to have walked the whole way here. So tell me, Josiah – if that really is your name – why should I believe your story that you’re on your way to your family in Stensia?”

                Josiah let himself hang in the wolfir’s clawed fist. “Because I’m on the run. I’m being hunted by something terrible, something demonic, and I just need supplies enough to get me to Stensia. Supposedly I can end this hunt at the Ashmouth.”

                “For the first time, human, you smell like you’re telling the truth.” The grip released, and Josiah fell to his feet. “You are lucky; this town has plenty. We will furnish you with a horse and supplies. Stensia is two day’s ride from here, assuming you don’t meet any actual bandits. I’ll even have the local priest provide a silver amulet for protection.”

                “Silver? I’ve never heard of silver as effective against demons.”

                “It’s not for your protection against your hunter. It’s for the horse’s protection against anything that might assail you during the night. The inn will provide for tonight, but you’ll have to camp out for at least one night in the wilds.”

                “Thank you, Raban. I am in your debt.”

                “Don’t thank me yet. I’ll hunt you down if that horse doesn’t return.”

*             *             *

                The next morning, Josiah set out on horseback with a silver amulet around his neck, fresh clothes on his back, and enough food for the way. As he rode, he imprinted the clothes with his magic, allowing him to summon them as needed. He always enjoyed visiting new planes and examining their clothing. This was commoner clothing, sure, but the three-point-hat was one of the best things Josiah’s head had ever borne. The food was similarly appropriate for commoners, simple but hearty. Josiah reflected on the night before and again regretted not being able to have more of the delicious stew. He had to force himself to pay more attention to his surroundings, thinking of such wonderful comforts. The villagers had told him to be wary of the roads on account of bandits, but it was wolves he was worried about watching for.

                Of course, he was expecting something a bit more subtle than Ria standing in the middle of the road with her hammer in hand in the late afternoon.

                “Hail, Ria! Have you – ”

                “WHAT DID YOU DO?!”

                “I don’t understand, what do you mean what did – ”

                “My _pack_ is being _hunted_!”

                “What, you think I sent the villagers against them?”

                “No, you idiot, there are devils running around the woods burning every wolf in sight!”

                Josiah paused to consider this. “You’re not being sarcastic, are you?”

                “No. And _you’re_ going to help me hunt them down.”

                “Why?”

                “Because that’s what we came here to do, isn’t it? Fight demons?”

                Josiah dismounted awkwardly, removed the saddle-bags and slung them over his shoulder, then sent the horse running home. “Let’s go hunting.”

*             *             *

                “So, how many of these devil-crags are there? You already mentioned the Ashmouth, and now we’re dealing with Devil’s Breach.”

                “I didn’t even know about Devil’s Breach until yesterday. I thought the wolves being hunted was something we caused.”

                “When you said it was my fault, I thought you meant they were being corrupted like those cultists we saw, but this is nothing like that. Devils are unusual on Ravnica and other planes; I’m surprised to hear they’re common here.”

                “Devils have always been around, but they’re more playful than painful –when they aren’t being directed by a demon.”

                “I think you suspect Avacyn of actually being demonic.”

                “Makes sense, doesn’t it? While she’s here, demons are strong, but as they’re beaten back she disappears.”

                Josiah shook his head. “If she’s angelic enough to deserve the shrines I’ve seen around here, then she’s not empowering the demons unless she sees them as a lesser evil, and I’ve only seen that as a path to falling from grace.”

                “Corruption begins with permission, then?”

                “Yes. The damnable thing about it is, so does salvation and freedom and pretty much everything else. World’s a lot simpler without choices, but that’s the kind of world that I think deserves to burn.”

                Ria nodded. “I’d hate that, too. Here.” She pointed to a pair of wolf corpses, but had to turn away from the sight of her friends’ bodies being so desecrated. Their fur was almost completely burned off and a few holes indicated that the organs had been torched as well. Scorch marks surrounded the bodies on the ground and the trees, and some of the footprints leading away were still glowing.

                Josiah had taken only a few moments to glance around before sprinting off in the direction of the warmest set of footprints. Ria took off after him, squeezing the wolf corpses out of her eyes. The tracks were erratic, bouncing off trees and occasionally dancing in circles, making it easy to catch up to the incendiary hunters.

                Josiah was far enough ahead that had to grab Ria before she actually ran into the devil pack. With one hand quieting her and the other holding her back, her muttered “Quiet, Ria! If we kill them, there will just be more. If we follow them to their source, we can actually end this.”

                She glared at him but stayed silent as he released her. The devil pack kept carousing through the forest, eventually meeting up with another such band. It wasn’t much further before they dove together into a cave glowing with fire deep inside.

                This time, it was Ria holding Josiah back. “No, we can’t go in there. No, no, no.”

                “Afraid, Ria?”

                “And why aren’t you? That place is full of the nastiest this world has to offer. Even with Avacyn back humans don’t make it out of there alive. We wouldn’t stand a chance.”

                “Would you rather wait until morning?”

                “No! We’re not doing this at all!”

                “And how, then, are we going to help with your wolves being hunted?”

                “Dammit, I don’t know! I’ll just hunt them down!”

                “And you think that’ll even slow them down? Come on, are we going in now or in the morning?”

                “What?! Are you insane?!”

                Josiah backhanded Ria’s face. “You can leave or you can stay. I’m going to hide, rest, then come back and find out how I can stop the devils from butchering your wolves. Whatever you choose, stay out of my way.”

                Ria could do nothing but stare as Josiah walked away.

*             *             *

[Image: Personal Sanctuary]

                Josiah hated setting up circles of protection. They’re too structured, too narrowly defined, and generally more work than they were worth. But when sleeping in front of a demon-spawning hell-hole, you just have to create your own sanctuary and pray that no one other than you knows how to dispel it. Not only would it provide him with a few hours’ rest and an opportunity to eat, if he made it strong enough he would have ample opportunity to summon some serious war-gear rather than trying to stave off waves of demons in commoners’ clothing with only an enchanted longsword.

                Once he was finished with the arduous task, Josiah settled down in the circle’s center and set his bags on the ground. The townsfolk had been surprisingly generous to him, and he had thanked them accordingly. He took some food and spread it out on his spare undershirt. He was just finishing his prayer when Ria walked up to the circle’s edge.

                “Did you want something to eat, Ria? There’s not much, but you’re welcome to it.”

                “Are you serious about going into Devil’s Breach in the morning?”

                Josiah began to eat some bread, soaking every bite in a swig of mead. “Yes, I am.”

                “You’re crazy.”

                “I’m well aware. But at this point, you’ve decided that I’m responsible for taking care of your wolves, and this is how I deal with problems.”

                “Suicide missions?”

                “Sometimes. Whether it is or not, I’m cutting the problem off at the head.”

                Ria heaved a sigh and began walking away. “I’ll see you in the morning, then.”

                Once Ria had left for her own rest, Josiah finished his meal and slept peacefully.

*             *             *

                Rows of beady red eyes greeted Josiah as he awoke. He said a good morning to them, thinking that he was glad that the circle was still working. Probing it with his magic, he found that it easily had a few hours left, so he calmly ate a light breakfast of bread, a small wheel of cheese, and a few swigs of mead, and began summoning his armor.

[Image: Josiah]

                Where circles of protection were agonizingly painstaking to create, such personal objects as weapons and favored uniforms were a joy to conjure. Feeling the cloth on his arms and back shift into leather and metal was like a homecoming to Josiah, and too long had it been since he last held his chakrams in hand. Once he was fully equipped, he began funneling mana through the enchanted steel disks, readying them to be thrown. Unfortunately, he had to leave the circle in order to engage the horde of devils surrounding him.

                “Ria! Are you close by?”

                The reply came from a treetop. “Yeah, I figured you could use some help.”

                “I just need to get out of my circle so I can start fighting. Think you can draw them off a ways?”

                “Actually, I had something different in mind.”

                From the surrounding woods, Josiah heard a low growl from all sides, then a loud snarl from where Ria stood. “ _RIA, NO!_ ”

                But the wolves, deaf to his cries, poured forth, with Ria in her werewolf form leading them. The devils grinned, some of them conjuring fire as others simply leapt into the fray.

                Chakrams and lightning flew the moment Josiah left the circle. The bolts didn’t have much effect on the devil horde, but the flying metal certainly did. Each throw cut through three, five, ten devils at a time, condemning them as quickly as Josiah could muster. No sooner did another few devils turn their attention away from Ria’s wolves than they were cut down in Josiah’s wrath.  

                Ria snarled at Josiah as they stood amongst the dead and what wolves remained. The devils’ bodies had vanished, as such mana-creatures generally do, and the wolf-corpses were beginning to fade out; Josiah smirked when he realized that they weren’t real creatures, merely summoned copies. Ria snorted.

                “You know I can’t understand you when you’re in wolf form, Ria. You’ll have to shift back.”

                “AMAZING, isn’t it?” called a voice from the treeline. “It’s not normal for a werewolf not to be mauling a human. Even more impressive is the fact there still is a werewolf after the Cursemute.”

                Josiah watched as a team of soldiers led by a woman in white robes – he smirked at her matching white three-point-hat – emerged from the woods.

[Image: Thraben Valiant]

                “Of course, it’s also not normal to have an army of wolves fight by your side, but that’s at least closer to believable.”

                Josiah nodded. “I imagine my armor is also strange to you. Tell me, for I am a traveler from far off, and do not know this land. Who are you, and from whence do you come?”

                “You don’t recognize the uniforms of the cathars?”

                “As I said, far away. I’ve only even heard vague stories of Thraben and its cathedral. I am Josiah,” he explained, extending his hand in greeting.

                The woman looked at the hand coldly. “I am Captain Ashara of the Kessig chapter of Avacyn’s Cathars. Realize, stranger, than you would be chained and bound at this very moment had I not watched you cut down the devils we came to hunt.”

                Josiah nodded. “I thank you for the kindness. I am Josiah, as I said, and this is Ria. I came here to try to teach her how to fight the demonic. Unfortunately, we were ambushed, as you saw.”

                “Why come here for such training?”

                “I had heard tell of Devil’s Breach and the horrors that dwell within, and as she is already a skilled fighter I know of no better way to learn than to face it directly.”

                “A skilled fighter? She is a hunter of men. You would be bound and she would be dead.”

                Ria’s growl at the cathars grew louder.

                “Ria is a noble warrior even in the throes of her bestial fury. Friend and foe are not, to her, one and the same. Twice now I have fought alongside her and been deeply impressed with her prowess.”

                “And yet she needs more training to fight demons?”

                “Of course. Being able to fight a blackened body and being able to fight a recurring unholy spirit are two very different things.”

                “What cannot be killed must be bound. Clearly, you are not familiar with Avacyn’s teachings.”

                “Indeed. And how do Avacyn’s faithful bind the demonic?”

                Captain Ashara held up the same U-shaped symbol that Josiah had seen on shrines and as amulets. “This is Avacyn’s Collar. It binds demons and prevents them from using their powers.”

                “And what effect does it have on other evils?”

                “How do you fight demons without knowing these things?”

                Josiah hung his chakrams on hooks on his back and summoned circular bands of light in his hands. “I have other weapons, crafted from magic rather than silver. These bands – the spell is known simply as ‘Arrest’ – wrap around anything, locking all its powers. I have others, such as specially blessed or empowered weapons, but this is often the simplest and easiest.”

[Image: Arrest, Scars of Mirrodin version]

                “And you learned this spell in your homeland?”

                “No. In my homeland, demons are so dangerous, so common, and so easily summoned that even the knowledge of their existence is a closely guarded secret. I travel, and learned this spell elsewhere.”

                “And how do you fight demons in your homeland?”

                “By any and all means necessary. Where a demon walks, we destroy it, and purge the land behind. Even the traces it leaves can corrupt the innocent.”

                “And is this what you were going to do to this forest?”

                “No. From what I have seen, demons here border on benign. They’re practice targets.”

                “Then why bother coming?”

                “Because Ria needs to be taught. I was planning on setting up camp inside Devil’s Breach.”

                Captain Ashara drew back, eyes wide. “ _Set up camp?!_ I’ve made dozens of raids inside, some of them hours long, but to actually camp inside – clearly you have lost your mind.”

                Josiah cocked his head. “Perhaps. Would you and your squad like to join me and see?”

                Captain Ashara turned cold. “With what supplies?”

                Josiah shrugged. “I have some, and it would be enough for me, but you’d have to bring your own. Ria seems to prefer hunting for her food, though I may have to show her how to salt meat for this particular trip.”

                Captain Ashara glanced to the soldiers about her, who nodded as though in reply. “Yes, we will come. I admit I am interested in watching you engage the demonic.”

*             *             *

                Cackling laughter and the crackle of flames echoed through the cavern, drowning out the band’s footsteps. Ria was panicky, less because of the noises and more because of Josiah’s intense calm. The soldiers were stoically focused and alert rather than calm while Captain Ashara kept her eyes squarely focused on Josiah, and this only served to unnerve Ria further.

                The devils struck without any indication of even their presence.

                A few moments’ struggle and what devils remained were bounding deeper into the cavern.

                The first word spoken since entering Devil’s Breach went to Captain Ashara. “Report!”

                A small clamor of “aye”s was followed by “Tamil’s dead, sir.”

                “Dammit. Small wonder my best bowman falls in this pit.”

                “Ria, are you alright?” Josiah asked. “Captain, have your men fan out. We need to find-“

                “Don’t tell me what to do with my soldiers, wanderer. Tristan, Jara, you’re with me. Obner, Gorn, stay with the wanderer. We hunt the werewolf, but keep her alive.”

                Josiah led his two soldiers out of the cave, thinking that Ria likely fled, while Captain Ashara headed deeper in. It didn’t take long, though, before Jara yelled that she had found Ria. Josiah rushed to catch up.

                Ria was curled up in a corner, whimpering. Tamil and Jara stood by her, swords ready, as Captain Ashara was kneeling in front of her.

                The captain’s head turned to face Josiah. “Oh, good. I was worried you would suspect something and not come. It seems, Inquisitor, that your senses have dulled since last we met.”

                Josiah began to reach for his chakrams, but Obner’s spear touched his back.

                “Don’t try anything, or you both die.”

                Josiah shrugged. “I’m still alive, so it seems that killing me didn’t work too well for you before.”

                “Yes, well, somehow I don’t think you’ll be able to pull that particular trick again. I’m getting better at following you.”

                The chamber began to glow with white light, causing Captain Ashara’s visage to seem replaced by a blood-red skull, her skin showing instead twisted, shifting muscles, and her eyes turned into black pits.

                “Tell me, demon, by the light of truth: What is your name?”

                The creature inside the captain’s body tilted its head back and roared with laughter that echoed throughout the cave. Its face then snapped back down, leveling with Josiah. Tendrils of darkness flowed out from the beast, shading the cave until only Josiah continued glowing. “No. No more tricks from you. Now you die, and I return to my victory!”

                Its hand shot out, piercing Josiah’s armor and ribcage, grasping at his heart.

                For the first time in just over one hundred years, Josiah screamed in pain, and Devil’s Breach exploded with pure AEther in reply.


	5. Theros

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, something bad happened on Innistrad. But how does one recover from such an injury? (Bonus: One

            Josiah woke on a bed of grass.

            No, dried wheat. On stone. He was tied to an altar.

            “And you’re sure this will heal him?”

            “Healing is usually Pharika’s specialty. I’m not sure what else we can do for him at this point but pray to Karametra and Heliod for his recovery.”

            Someone snarled. “I’ll kill you if he dies under your care.”

            “Please do not speak of such violence here. Also, I think you’ll be interested to know that he’s awake. Don’t untie him yet; he may hurt himself!”

            Josiah felt Ria’s presence over him before he could open his eyes.

            “Josiah? Are you alright?”

            “Ria? Where….” Josiah could hardly draw enough breath to speak.

            “It’s alright, we’re in a Karametran temple. The preistesses say that they can help.”

            “Kara…?”

            “Could we get some privacy, please?” Ria asked the woman. The priestess bowed and strode out of the room.

            “We’re on a plane called Theros. Apparently whatever happened in Devil’s Breach forced you to planeswalk. There have been a lot of visitors to this plane recently; maybe that’s why you were pulled here. Anyways, Karametra may be a goddess of the harvest, but her priestesses have a little healing in them. They’re doing their best.”

            “Theros?”

            “Yes, Theros.”

            “Gods?”

            “Yes, gods. Fourteen of them. There was a fifteenth, but he got torn down from the heavens. Some satyr ascended and got cast down by another god’s champion. I don’t even know what a satyr is.”

            There was a knock at the door. “Ria? May I come in a moment?”

            “Come.”

            Josiah turned his head to see a dark-skinned woman, hair braided in tight rows, striding gracefully across the floor in a long, white toga. Only now did he notice his own nakedness.

            “Karametra is god of home and hearth, as these are the first fed come harvest time. Perhaps this will help Josiah remember his home and speed his recovery.” She placed a small amulet on Josiah’s chest; it featured a small piece of brightly polished metal in the center, surrounded by an ornate chain that seemed held together more by magic than by metal.

            “Thank you, priestess,” Josiah croaked. “What ….” He coughed a few times. “What is your name?”

            The priestess smiled. “My name is Physia. Rest, child. You need it.” She seemed to glide rather than walk out of the vast stone chamber and shut the door behind her.

            Josiah’s eyes locked sharply to Ria’s. “We need to leave. Loose my bonds.”

            “You can hardly speak, much less actually leave – “

            “And you seriously think that the thing hunting us is going to spare this temple?”

            “Rest, then. Get stronger so you can protect them.”

            Josiah looked down and shook his head. “I can’t. You can’t. An army couldn’t – you saw the corrupted Rakdos, you saw what it did with Captain Ashara. I can’t let anyone else die on my account.”

            “And where in Oblivion are you going to go?!”

            “There is one place where I can recuperate and might be safe. Lots of chaotic magics there; some will work quite readily to protect me. I just need to leave.”

            “You can’t ‘walk while tied down?”

            “I – “ Josiah was seized by a fit of coughing. “This shouldn’t be possible. Sickness doesn’t cross planes. At least, ordinary sickness doesn’t.”

            “You already know of something that does, I take it?”

            “Yes, but this isn’t it.” He coughed a few more times. “I just hope it doesn’t spread like the oil, otherwise I’ve condemned this whole plane.”

            “No one else here is affected like you. And judging from what happened, I don’t think anyone will be.”

            He looked up at her. “What did happen? All I remember is being in the cave, it reached its hand into my chest, and … pain.”

            Ria sat down on the floor. “It’s a little fuzzy for me, too, honestly. I was kinda panicking at the time. After the thing grabbed your chest, you, uh…. It was like a scream, but I felt it more than heard it. It was like you were planeswalking and taking all of Devil’s Breach with you. I’m not sure whether I followed or you dragged me with you.”

            Josiah nodded weakly. “And the demon? Did it follow as well?”

            She shrugged. “I really don’t know. It’s followed us before. I didn’t see it, though.”

            Josiah groaned. “Ugh, I need to get up. Untie these for me, will you?”

            “Nope. You need to stay right there until a priest of Pharika arrives.”

            “Or until I get here,” a voice slithered from a dark corner.

            Ria stood and drew her hammer, staring intently at the shadow. “Come out,” she snarled.

            The sound was between a giggle and a cackle. “I would _love_ to, little werewolf, but I can’t right now. You see, Josiah can’t leave right now because I am pressing in, even as he presses to get out. Don’t bother with that hammer, though. No point swinging at something that isn’t even, shall we say, corporeal.”

            Ria relaxed her pose slightly, but kept her hammer in hand.

            “I thought so. A warrior, tried and true, yes you are, going to fight to the last no matter how futile it is. More comfortable with a weapon in your hand than any other way, oh yes.”

            “Ria,” Josiah croaked weakly. “Don’t listen – “

            “SILENCE, MONGREL!” the dark voice boomed. “At the very least, let the young lady make her own choices, hmmm?”

            Josiah slumped down like a rotten log collapsing.

            “Now, then, Ria, Companion to Ysgramor and Queen of Wolves, why are you fighting for this one? All I seek is just payment for wrongs he committed to me some time ago, there’s no need to defend him. You’ve seen how arrogant he is, how uncaringly violent he can be when the opportunity arises. There’s no reason to defend him. All I ask is that you leave him. Go back to Innistrad, to your hollow in Kessig, or back to Jorrvaskr, where you can be with your kind. He is certainly capable of handling himself, why not let him deal with me? After all, it was contact with him that forced you into that cramped city, that took you down into Devil’s Breach. Even when Molag Bal trapped you, that was a trap I set for him. All I want is for you to let me get to him, that I may have my vengeance.”

            Ria looked back and forth between the shadow and Josiah, still bound to the altar.

            “However, the Companions are mercenaries of a sort. He certainly isn’t paying you anything, hasn’t helped you with any harm he hasn’t caused. Why not work for me? It would be easy, just one hammer-blow. You wouldn’t even need to kill him, just knock him out cold and I can do the rest. And it’s not only gold I can offer you, no. I can show you secret things. I can teach you about the Cursemute, how to reverse it or even how to join the Wolfir if you so choose. I can lift the price on your head, make human and wolfir not only not hate you but love you as the wild creature you are. I can show you how to do a great many things … including bringing Kodlak back. I can grant you things you’ve never imagined, just for one swing of a hammerhead, just one more victorious strike for the young warrior. Just one more body to feed to your wolves. Would you?”

            Ria glared at the shadow. “No,” she growled as she charged and brought her hammer crashing down in the darkness. Sparks flew as it crashed against the stone beneath.

            “Fine, then. You’ll die, too.” The voice seemed to come from everywhere as the entire room began to shake. The door burst open and in charged a tall, burly man in simple battle armor.

            “I don’t care how sick he is, this entire temple will fall if we don’t get everyone who can raise a sword on the defense!”

            Physia was hot on his heels, looking uncharacteristically flustered. “But he is dreadfully sick! He needs time to recover!” Her pleas fell on deaf ears as the soldier began cutting Josiah’s ropes. He pointed to Ria. “You! Get to the front gate. Minotaurs are attacking the temple and your hammer may be the difference between us being victorious or the minotaurs’ next meal!”

            Ria nodded and ran for the door, eager to have something solid to fight. Josiah was less enthusiastic.

            “Pendragon, he can barely get up, he cannot aid you!”

            “You said he was a warrior. Carry him to the gate if that is what must happen but we need him ready for battle.”

            Josiah began to speak but lost the opportunity when one of the temple walls collapsed and a dozen raging minotaurs flooded the room. Pendragon drew sword and shield and ran to meet them head-to-head. Josiah, hardly two strides behind him, had pulled a greatsword from seemingly nowhere and conjured armor similar to Pendragon’s.

            Though Ria was easily the shortest in the room, her hammer was the first thing to make contact with the intruders, striking at them from their flank as Josiah and Pendragon met their vanguard. Josiah seemed to be on all sides of Pendragon at once, stabbing one minotaur in the gut before moving to behead another, then changing to a shoulder slam as his greatsword was parried. Pendragon himself was agile in his shieldwork, forming an impenetrable one-man bulwark as his sword threatened any minotaur that dared get in its reach.

            Eventually a minotaur grabbed Ria and flung her across the room, and she heard a crack behind her as she hit the wall. Grimacing in pain and shot with adrenaline, Ria pulled her bow out and was surprised to find it and each arrow she loosed not to have shattered in the impact. One arrow saved Josiah from a minotaur’s hammer crushing his skull; another caught a minotaur circling around Pendragon in its heel, toppling it; a third caused one beast so much pain in its right eye that its bellow panicked a few others around it. Josiah leapt up from a blow to the chest, fighting to guard Pendragon’s back as the minotaurs surrounded them. Two minotaurs saw Ria firing arrows and charged her; Ria brought one down with two arrows to its neck and braced for a killing blow - but when it didn’t come, she saw it gored by strands of Physia’s robes. The cloth drew back, hissed, and Physia ran into the fray, her robes biting like serpents, goring one minotaur after another.

            The room’s door crashed open, and other soldiers moved in and formed a phalanx around the minotaurs to drive them out through the hole they created. The wall of spears and shields, directed by an unseen officer’s shouts, contained the chaos and ended the fight.

            Exhausted, Josiah, Ria, and Pendragon collapsed.

*          *          *

            When Ria awoke, she saw Josiah lying next to her, while Pendragon was speaking with Physia. She pulled her legs in to sand up –

            - but it didn’t happen. They wouldn’t move.

            Her arms seemed fine, but she couldn’t feel her legs at all, stretched out in front of her. She shrieked, and Physia came running.

            “Please, Ria, don’t move, you’ll only – “

            “WHY CAN’T I MOVE MY LEGS?!”

            “Calmer, please, you – “

            “What happened to my legs?!”

            “Your back is broken, please calm down. If you stop moving so much we might be able to heal you.”

            Ria looked up at Physia, near tears. “I can’t get up. I can’t do anything. I’m useless!” Physia tried to calm her, but she just kept going on hysterically.

            Pendragon strode to Josiah. “And how are you feeling, warrior? You did pretty well for a sick man.”

            Josiah, roused by Ria’s cries, snorted. “We barely survived. I did not fight well. Well enough, perhaps, but not well.”

            Pendragon raised his eyebrows. “I’d hate to be your opponent when you’re fighting well, then.”

            The two men glanced over at Ria, now sobbing into Physia’s arms.

            “It’s a shame. She was incredible, and a wound like that can’t always be healed. I’ve known men to take their own lives rather than try to live with it.”

            “Wasn’t she shooting arrows? How did her bow survive that impact?”

            “It didn’t,” said Physia. “I prayed to any god who would listen for aid, and Ria’s bow was changed.”

            Josiah was puzzled. “Changed? Into what?”

            Pendragon turned to him. “Are you really from so far that you do not know? Only one god blesses archery. Your friend was gifted with use of Ephixis, Nylea’s legendary bow.”

            “What does that mean?”

            “It means that her back _must_ heal,” Physia explained, “for Nylea would only grant such a gift for the defense of the wilds. The minotaurs must be rampaging beyond this temple, out into the forest beyond.”

            Ria looked up. “What? I’m going to heal?”

            Physia smiled down at her. “Yes, Ria. Your back is going to heal, and you’ll run wild and free with the wolves and the antelope. Clearly, Nylea has chosen you to stop the minotaurs.”

            After a moment, Pendragon stood. “Well, I don’t want to ruin the celebrations, but how is she going to fight minotaurs without getting up? There’s the two of us, and I might be able to convince those soldiers to help us, but there’s no tale without its hero.”

            Ria glared at him. Her rage filled the room, and when she roared, massive, leathery wings sprouted from her back, and her mouth and eyes were lit aflame. “I may not be able to walk, but that does _not_ make me helpless,” she declared as she lifted off, hovering masterfully overhead.

            “Ria,” Josiah gasped. “I had no idea you could – “

            “I’m a shapeshifter, draugr-brain. _This_ is what I _do_. Now come on, we’ve got minotaurs to hunt.”

*          *          *

            “Where is it that you’re from? Josiah is a rather unusual name.”

            “So is Pendragon.”

            “Aye, it’s a title, but no one has called me anything else since I took it. Even in a world of heroes and monsters and gods, killing a dragon is no common feat.”

            “I would prefer your name.”

            The soldier gave Josiah a long look. “Nikon. I am Nikon, the Pendragon.”

            “Well, Nikon, I can assure you that I could tell you where I’m from in great detail and it would mean nothing to you, so unfamiliar are you with such a place. Let it suffice to say that where I am from, humans are not so accepting of other races, and the gods are fewer and far crueler.”

            “Hmpf. Well, do these cruel gods of yours grant boons?”

            “Yes, though with some of them boons are hard to distinguish from curses. The Bloody God’s berserker rage grants great strength, but strips a warrior of their sanity, no longer able to distinguish friend from foe.”

            “And that’s a boon?!”

            Josiah shrugged. “As I said, cruel gods. I’m surprised Nylea was willing to aid Ria so lightly.”

            “It does not take so much to please our gods, friend. A sacrifice here, an offering there, and that’s all there is to it. Sure, there are greater acts of devotion which get greater respect, and the wrong offering can make them mad, but they’re overall pretty generous.”

            “Really? What happens when you and your enemy are both praying to the same god for victory in the same battle?”

            “Well, then I guess Iroas has a tough choice to make.”

            “Iroas, God of Victory?”

            “Aye. Half-bull, like a centaur, in perfect opposition to his twin Mogis of Slaughter.”

            “By ‘in perfect opposition’, you mean that Mogis’s front half is a bull and the back half is a man? Is he a minotaur?”

            “Yes. He’s their patron.”

            “No wonder Nylea wants them out of her woods.”

            “Exactly. Speaking of Nylea, here comes the champion herself.” Nikon waved to Ria. “Hail, hero! What of the minotaurs?”

            Ria landed with a swing, allowing her to sit upright on some rubble with a bit of difficulty. “Looks like most of them were killed when they attacked the temple. Those soldiers did well. Problem is, one of the monsters is making a blood sacrifice out of every animal they kill as they keep moving north-east. There aren’t many of them, but they’re strong and probably know we’re coming.”

            “So, what’s the plan?”

            “Hunt. We can’t best them in open combat, but this is my territory. You two get moving due north. I’ll get some wolves to harry them towards you and help you set the area for a slaughter. Pendragon, do we have soldiers?”

            “No, they said a few minotaurs aren’t as important as their mission, whatever that is.”

            Ria shook her head angrily. “Of course. Typical humans, only concerned for themselves.”

            Pendragon snorted. “I’m still here.”

            “By all accounts, you’re not typical.”

            “Fair enough.”

            Ria lifted off awkwardly, legs dangling. “Alright, boys, move out. We’ll use the night to our advantage, but I actually want to sleep tonight.”

*          *          *

            Josiah and Nikon marched for about an hour before Ria met back up with them. She flew low and slowly, half-perched on Josiah’s shoulder to keep her loose legs steady.

            “Comfortable?”

            “No. The legs aren’t so bad in the air as feeling their weight pulling down on my chest.”

            “You could land all the way. My shoulder can probably take it.”

            Ria glared at him and took off, flying ahead.

            “Way to go, dumbass,” chuckled Nikon.

            “Oh, shut up.”

*          *          *

            When they reached the clearing, Josiah sat down cross-legged on the grass. “Nikon, who’s the god of storms?”

            “Storms? Keranos. I don’t see what he has to do with anything, though.”

            “It has to do with my power. Much of my magic, thus much of what I can set up as a trap, revolves around lightning. While I’m not sure it’s necessary, having Keranos’ permission or even blessing would be a great boon.”

            “Alright then, get to praying. I’ll keep an eye out for any other creatures that come our way.”

            It was only a few moments, though, before a random bolt of lightning struck Josiah, who seemed unharmed but grinned wickedly as he stood.

            “Ah, that felt good.”

            “Blessing granted?”

            “No. In fact, he raged at me. But he revealed something useful and he called me Mardu, whatever that means.”

            Nikon shrugged. “So, what, getting struck by lightning feels good to you?”

            “I was ready for it this time. While I’m nowhere near full strength, I can certainly do more than I could before.” Josiah walked to the south-east edge of the clearing and began zapping the ground in a number of places, leaving circles of glowing blue runes behind each time.

            “What are you doing?”

            “It’s a spell I learned elsewhere, simply called Lightning Rune. Even though Keranos isn’t actually opposed to these minotaurs right now, I’m putting his jolt into these runes. They’ll detonate when a minotaur walks nearby, and their shaman should get frightened that Keranos actually is against them.”

            “I see.”

            After Josiah planted a few more runes, Nikon spoke up again. “So, what are you going to do when we’re done here?”

            “This is actually just one stop for me in the middle of being hunted by something even your gods would or at least should be afraid of. I’ll have to get moving as soon as we’re done with these minotaurs.”

            “Sounds like an exceptional journey. Mind if I go with you?”

            “You can’t.”

            “Why not? It’s not like I have family or something around here.”

            “No, it’s that you are actually incapable of coming with me. I don’t want to explain in detail, but it is physically impossible.”

            Nikon shrugged. “I guess that’s that, then. Though you’re more than welcome to my aid any time you need me.”

            Josiah stopped and looked up from his work. “Truly anytime?”

            “Well … sure.”

            Josiah walked back to Nikon and asked Nikon to take his gauntlet off. They clasped bare hands, and Josiah learned of Nikon on an AEthereal level, understanding exactly how to summon this noble warrior. “Thank you. I’ll be able to summon you if I need you, though you probably won’t recognize the surroundings if I do.”

            “So you can conjure people?”

            “I can either create what’s essentially a copy of them or basically form a portal that forcibly drags you to my side regardless of the usual difficulties. So, yes.”

            “…OK. So would you be copying or dragging me?”

            “Dragging, most likely. You’re more than just a typical soldier, so I want the real you fighting with me if it’s at all possible. If the situation’s too dangerous, though, I won’t hesitate to use a copy of you instead.”

            “Ha! Don’t be worried for my sake, Josiah. I’m sure I can handle it.”

            “Of course you are. We’ll see if you still think so after seeing it, though.”

            “Fair enough. And speaking of seeing, I see an angry half-dragon flying our way. Hail, Ria!”

            “What traps have you readied?”

            “Josiah put down some lightning runes, but that’s all.”

            “Aright.” She swooped down, grunting as she lifted Nikon over the runes so as not to set them off. “Here, we seek to wound or immobilize them. Use whatever you like, just start digging knee-deep holes. Quickly!”

            Whenever Nikon had dug a hole, Ria would drive a spear or sharpened branch into it at an angle to harm whatever stepped into it. She explained her plan as they worked. “You two are the last line of defense. We’ll be at the far end of the clearing from here, with me obvious for bait. When they start crossing, I start shooting, and if they get too close to me or grow brains enough to flank us you’ll take them on. Got it?”

            The two men agreed. Nikon was working on the ninth hole when Ria stopped him.

            “They’re coming. Quickly, now!” She picked him up and carried him to the clearing before diving towards the earth on the other side. Josiah and Nikon dashed to hide in the woods behind Ria and readied weapons.

            It wasn’t long before a bellow of pain indicated that the minotaurs had reached the holes and were not happy about it. Two more cries were followed by a harsh grunt, which silenced them.

            “Psst. Ria,” Josiah whispered. “Put this on.” He tossed her an iron mask softly glowing green with magic and a black hood to cover the head. Her eyes widened when she saw it, and she shot him an accusing look before donning it. The mask’s magic was ancient, and it hit her blood like a hurricane’s wind. She grinned beneath it, enjoying the draconic enchantments.

            “What’s its name?”

            “Krosis. Sorrow.”

            Claps of thunder and flashes of lightning interrupted them as the minotaurs reached the lightning runes. Ria quickly notched an arrow and waited, bow half-hidden beneath her.

            The first minotaur stepped out slowly, with a look of malicious joy on its face. It thought it was going to enjoy this, but then one arrow hit its eye. Another, its throat. It bellowed and fell to death. The next two minotaurs charged out of the woods, bellowing cries of revenge for their fallen brother. One of them got uncomfortably close, but Ria cut both down handily. Ria’s bow glowed green as the shaman stepped out of the forest, a massive tree trunk held before it as a shield against Ephixis.

            The first bolt cracked the trunk, and the shaman began to run. The second arrow shattered it, and the shaman was nearly on top of Ria. The third bolt hit the shaman in the mouth, skewering its head straight through as it began to fall, its war-club still crashing down on the crippled warrior. It was Nikon who leapt out of the brush in time to push the corpse away, though the other two minotaurs were right on his heels. Josiah defended as Nikon stood, and a beam of green light shot from Ephixis like an arrow to enter Josiah’s body and strengthen him, bringing him to match the minotaurs. When Nikon joined the fray, Ria fired another such beam at him, and the minotaurs were handled easily.

            Then a familiar wall of shields and spears surrounded the trio, who looked about, confused.

            “I’m getting stronger, Josiah,” came a voice from the forest. “You think I can only have one alliance, inquisitor? You’re getting soft in your age. What are you now, almost four hundred?”

            “That’s not your concern, demon.”

            “Wait, you’re how old?” asked Ria.

            “Yes, he holds lots of secrets, doesn’t he, wolf-born? Did you ever ask him why I’m hunting him, why I want him dead? No, of course you didn’t, why would you? I’m the dark, scary monster in the closet, of course you didn’t wonder if I actually had a good reason to want this crazed man brought to justice.”

            “You want me brought to justice? That’s laughable, given what you’ve done. All I ever did was banish you, not even actually permanently.”

            “True, but have you ever counted the cost? How many people were on Kelebron when you purged it, hmm? How many millions? Or, I’m sorry, was it billions? Do you know the number, inquisitor? I do. I took every one of them to the beyond personally. Was I worth every one of those 684,249, 312 souls? The second time you banished me, how many did you kill in your rampage for information? How many did you have to sacrifice just to speak my true name in that invocation? Want to ask them if it was worth it?”

            “s i l e n c e” the word had a strangely ethereal tone as Josiah said it, its magic forcing the daemon to halt its speech. “I permit you no words, champion of corruption and lies.” His eyes glowed blue and he muttered an apology to Keranos as he began a spell. A large rune cirlce appeared at his feet, guarding him and his two companions, and lightning surrounded them as his hand crashed to the ground, executing the soldiers in their armor and forcing the daemon out of existence. The nearby trees and plants fared little better.

            When he turned to Ria, he found her bow pointed at his face. “No, it wasn’t the minotaurs threatening Nylea’s forest. She felt your threat to her wilds.”

            “Whoa, now,” said Nikon, stepping between them. “Let’s talk this out, shall we?”

            “No,” Ria replied, aiming the bow at his chest. “Stand down, or you’ll just be more blood on his hands.”

            Josiah’s hand on Nikon’s shoulder pushed the soldier aside. “If she really thinks shooting me is the right thing to do, let her.”

            For the first time since learning to shoot, Ria’s bow hand quivered, and her shot flew past Josiah’s ear, sticking in a tree.

            “Go. Planeswalk away. Somewhere. Anywhere. Just go.”

            “Ria….”

            “ _GO!”_

            Josiah ran off into the forest, but his footsteps stopped well before he ran out of earshot. Nikon heard her start to sob as he watched Josiah leave, but when he glanced back down the sobbing had stopped and he was alone in the forest.


End file.
